Portable clinching tool



' July 28, 1931.

C. L. EKSERGIAN PORTABLE CLINCHING TOOL Fi led Oct. 22, 1927 m m m E Q. mm. an n N a m v f E 6 0 Wm m 7 a; Nb 6 a c m Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIR. TO EDWARD G. BUDD MANUFACTURING CO., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA PORTABLE CLINOHING TOOL Application filed October 22, 1927; Serial No. 228,009.

This invention relates to a portable clinchring tool.

This tool is particularly useful in clinching together overlapped flanges of sheet metal panels such as, for example, the metal panels of automobile bodies.

The objects of the invention are to provide a portable clinching tool which will economically and expeditiously clinch together the overlapped flanges and metal panels, and which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and easy to use.

Additional objects and advantages residing in the specific structural details of the tool will become apparent as the description progresses.

In carrying out the invention I utilize as the main portion of the tool the conventional air hammer and apply to'such hammer for actuation thereby, an attachment provided with clinching elements. 7

Several embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein, r

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the invention, the main portion of the conventional air hammer being shown in side elevation, while the attaching portion thereof and the clinching attachment are irregular section,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the clinching tool illustrated in Figure 1 showinga portion thereof in top plan, and other portions thereof in regular section,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view corresponding to the sectional portion of Figure 1 but showing another embodiment of the invention,

Figures 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views disclosing the manner in which the clinching tool engages the overlapped flanges of the sheet metal panels to clinch the same together.

The air hammer is provided with the usual shown in handle 1,- inlet and outlet hole connections 2 and 3 and control lever4. The, handle also comprises the enlarged shank portion 5 and the reduced round shank portion 6. This latter shank portion is provided with a cylindrical chamber 7 within whi h operates the reciprocating hammer 8. The operation of this hammer 8 is occasioned in any preferred manner, usually to be found in the conventional air hammers. The description so far has dealt solely with the air hammer portion of the tool which is by itself of conventional construction so that extended dc tails thereof need not be explicitly set forth.

The outer end of the round shank 6 of the air hammer is externally threaded for the reception thereon of an internally threaded. main tool bracket 9. A set screw 10 extends through this main bracket adjacent the inner end thereof and is adapted to maintain the same in fixed relation with respect to the shank of the air hammer. This arrangement allows of a slight relative adjustment of the main bracket longitudinally of the shank of the hammer and thereby effects a ready variation of the operating-throw of the tool. The main bracket issubstantially rectangular in cross section throughoutthe major portion of its length, but gradually changes from rectangular to round cross section toward the end adjacent the shank 6. The reason for this is obvious as it allows the bracket to telescope over theend of the shank. Starting at approximately the same commencing point as the-rectangular cross section, the bracket is provided with a central vertical slot 11; This slot extends almost" the entire length of the rectangular portion of the bracket terminating just short of the outer end thereof'so as to form work engaging points 12and 13; Approximately mid way of the slot 11 and adjacent its upper and This main bracket is preferab y formed. by I its construction a suitable material as for example, crown razor steel.

Adjacent the upper and lower edges of the cylindrical portions of the arms 16 and 17 are pairs of openings 21. These openings are for the purpose oitreceiving securing means 22 used to secure thereto side plates 23. These side plates close the opposite ends of the cylindrical bore formed by the opening in each cylindrical portion. A pin 2-lis arranged in this bore between the side plates and has a running fit therein. The jaws 25 and 26 are arranged upon this pin and extend transversely of the main bracket. The outer ends of these jaws are held in position by the side plates 23, While they are held against movement outwardly of the main bracket by those portions of the opening 20 which are defined by the interior edges of the Work engaging tips 12 and 13. The peripheries of these jaws are lin l adjacent to such work engaging tips. and complementally curved therewith. The inner adjacent faces 27 of these jaws are plane for the greater part of their extent, being provided with semicircular portions adjacent their rear edges which are adapted to fit over the pin 24. The rear edges of the jaws are arrangedso as to be in divergent relationship with each other and have adjacent their outer extremities a flattened portion to receive the impact of the striker operated by the air hammer.

The striker 28 is substantially cylindrical and is provided with an enlargement 29 ad* jacent the end thereof, which engages the rear face of the jaws 25 and 26. This enlargement 29 provides in effect, spaced striker members which strike against the flattened portions of the previously described divergent rear face of the jaws. That portion of the striker 28 which is adjacent the air hammer is provided with a reduced shank 30 extending through a cylindrical opening in the end 'of the shank 6 of the hammer and pro,- jecting' into the chamber 7 thereof. This striker is guided in its reciprocating movement by the cylindrical opening just mentioned and also, by the guide lugs 14- and 15.

F rom the foregoing it is clearly to be seen that when the lever 4r is movedto actuating position, the reciprocating member 8' of the air hammer intermittently and rapidly impinges upon the inner end of the reduced shank 39 of the striker 28" and that the same is driven outwardly of the bracket 9 into ongagement with the jaws 25 and 26, thus swinging the same together. The construction of the jaws andtheir relation with re spectto the striker is such that they are capable o-fexerting a powerful ciinehing action upon the flanges to be clinched together. Theirconstruetion'as well as their particular form of mountingprovides for auniform engagement with the'flanges to be clinched together so that the clinched joint will be of a uniform character throughout its extent.

Fundamentally, the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 is the same as that just described. However, the main bracket 31 is constructed somewhat differently, as are the jaws 32 and 33. In place of using the side plates 23, as in the first form, the sides of the main bracket 31 are provided adjacent their outer end with an opening. The jaws 32 and 33 extend the entire width of the bracket and also have work engaging faces which extend beyond the walls of said bracket. The jaw 32 provided with spaced arms 34 which lie adjacent the walls of the bracket and between the same. The jaw 33 is provided with an arm 35 adapted to fit between the spaced arms 3 1- of the other jaw. All of these arms are provided with aligned open ings: which receive a pivot pin 36, the outer extremities of which are housed in the openings in the opposite side walls of the bracket.

There is also a dilference in the construction of the striker 37 over that shown in the first form. The enlarged portion of the striker 37 which acts as the striker portion proper is of such dimension that it extends above and below the upper and lower edges of the side walls in order to have operating engagement with the rear faces 38 and 39 of the jaws which are likewise extended above the upper and lower edges of the walls.

In Figures 4 and 5 the manner in which the clinching tool may be used is diagrammatically shown. The sheet metal panels 40 and 41 are panels of an automobile body construction which it is desired to jointogether by clinching. These panels are provided with overlapping flanges 42 and 43, the latter of which is of such length that itmay haveits outer edge turned backwardly over the flange 42; In bringing the flanges to the position shown in Figure 1, its backwardly turned portion of the flange 42' is first hammered or otherwise operated upon to bring the same into the best relative position for the final clinching operation with the clinching tool. When the flanges are in posit-ion as shown, the jaws of the tool are placed upon the same so that the backwardly turned flange el3is engaged at its extremity by the outer side ofthe upper jaw, while the rear portion of the engaging face of the lower jaw engages the flange at approximately a point where the turned bend occurs. This is clearly shown in Figure 4. When the tool has been placed upon the work and firmly pushed toward it so that the position just described has been procured, the air hammer is operated and the jaws for'ced'by thestriker to a closed posi-v tion. Inasmuch as the jaws initially engage the flangesat spaced points it will be's'een that they will'exert a severe twisting movement thereupon and will firmly and securely bring the same into clinched relationship. Of

- more, this tool is course, the jaws after havingreached their fully closed position tend to rebound to the open position both by percussion and by the resilience of the metal. This permits the operator to move the tool along the flanges and thereby to effect an extended clinched joint. 7

In both forms of my invention illustrated, it will be seen that the striker engaging faces of the jaws remain a substantially constant distance from the axis of the jaws during the clinching operation. These faces are arranged closest to the axis of the tool at the beginning of the clinching movement but shift outwardly as the clinching proceeds with the result that the parts operate with increasing mechanical advantage during the clinching operation. Thus the seam parts are, clinched down firmly into engagement with each other in the final movement ofthe jaws, precluding any spring back of the metal which might result from a less firm closing down of the aws.

It is thought that the foregoing description has clearly brought forth the structure of the embodiments of the invention illustrated and has indicated the advantages resulting from such structure. A tool of this character permits the use of clinch-joints and the joining together of automobile body panels which could not be produced by the use of the ordinary clinching dies. Furthermuch cheaper to construct than are such dies in that it is only the detachable tool portion that forms the additional equipment over and above the usual air hammer used in the performance of many and various operations throughout the shop. The clinching tool being ofa small size, provides for accessibility in clinching of joints which are arranged in restricted portions of the body construction, may be brought to the work rather than the work brought to it which is a considerable saving in production time, and it allows for a material reduction in floor space over the use of special clinching dies.

The invention may take various modifications and adaptations according to the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is I 1. A device for use in clinching metal flanges together, comprising a member having one end adapted for securement to a pneumatic hammer, and its other end formed with an enlargement, opposed clinching jaws pivotally mounted in said enlargement, and a'j aw actuating member slidably mounted in said first-named member having an enlarged jaw engaging end and a reduced end adapted to extend into the hammer and be engaged by the reciprocating plunger thereof.

2. A device for use in clinching metal flanges together comprising a member adapted to be secured to a pneumatic hammer, said member having a substantially circular enlargement at its free end, said enlargement having a transverse opening therethrough,

opposed clinching a pivot in said opening,

enlargement and jaws arranged in said mounted on said pivot and means carried by said member adapted to be engaged and operated by the reciprocating plunger of the hammer for actuating the jaws.

3. A device adapted to be secured to a pneumatic hammer comprising a member, one end of which is of the same configuration as the end of the hammer and is adapted to telescope thereover and be secured thereto, and the other end of which is provided with a central longitudinal opening through which is adaptedto operate an actuating member, a

pivot having a free fit within a transverse opening through said first-named member adjacent the free end, opposed clinching jaws pivotally mounted upon said pivot, and plates secured on opposite sides of the mem her over the ends of said transverse opening for confining said jaw pivot therein.

4:. A portable clinching tool comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a pneumatic hammer, pivoted clinching jaws of substantial width carried by said housing memher, and a movable member engaging the jaws and operatively connecting the hammer with said jaws, the member-engaging faces of the jaws being at a substantially constant distance from the axis of the aws in all operative positions of the jaws and being closest to the axis of the tool at the beginning of the clinching operation and moved outwardly from said axis in the clinching movement,

whereby the points of engagement of the 5. A portable clinching tool comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a pneumatic hammer, pivoted clinching jaws carried by said housing and adapted in their closed position to have their working faces extending parallel and spaced apart the thickness of the clinched seam, and means operatively connecting said hammer with said jaws to operate them simultaneously, said means including a reciprocating member engaging both jaws in a manner to cause the point of engagement to shift outwardly of the pivots of said 'aws in the clinching movement thereof, whereby the jaws are operated at an increasing mechanical advantage during the clinching movement thereof.

signature.

CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN. 

